The Winding Stream of Life
by Abi623
Summary: Katara is feeling useless, but she's reluctant to follow her dreams because of her loved ones. This is a story about how she became the world's greatest healer, and the sacrifices she's made to get there.
1. Chapter 1: Republic City

**Chapter 1: Republic City**

Katara looked out across the growing city beneath her. Towers rising up around her were works in progress- as was the building she was in now. The United Republic Hall was shaping up to be a fine tower in the heart of the city. The balcony she stood on overlooked the Yue Bay and the harbor. The lights around her were beginning to fade out and by the pull of the moon she knew the night was almost half over. But she couldn't sleep. Her mind raced with thought after thought.

The waterbender sighed and turned back to her room where she changed for bed and laid down. She left the candles burning so she could see and wrestled with her thoughts. It was the middle of the night and Aang was still not back from his meeting with the world leaders. Not that he would have come to visit her anyway. Since the United Republic of Nations was founded three years ago, it had taken up a lot of his time. And now that Republic City was growing rapidly, he was needed to keep the leaders of the Four Nations from taking the new country under their respective control.

His solution was simple, create a council that housed a member from every nation to run the United Republic as opposed to a single leader. Then, every nation would have an equal say in the runnings of the nation. Aang had been shut in with Zuko, King Kuei, her father, Chief Arnook and a few others since the early morning. Katara thought of everything she had done that day and was filled with disappointment.

They arrived shortly after dawn on Appa. They barely had time to settle in before Aang was whisked away into meetings. Katara was taken to her room where she unpacked, then joined Suki for breakfast. Suki had a day off from being Zuko's bodyguard, so they explored the city. It had only been a year since they had been in the city but it changed dramatically. New immigrants were arriving every day. New shops and buildings were being built on every street. They shopped and wandered around until dinner, said their goodbyes afterwards, then headed to their respective rooms in the Hall's guest wing.

That was all she did. And it was a recurring theme in her recent life. She followed Aang to wherever he might needed to go, offered advice when asked- which was not as often as it used to be- and was basically a figurehead for people to see. She was a War Hero, but she was more known for being the Avatar's girlfriend than for her greatest achievement- defeating Azula.

Katara remembered back to before the end of the war. She thought about her passion to be a warrior and to whatever it took to help Aang ,bring the Fire Nation down. Now she didn't think she had much to live for. Yes, her life was good. Yes, she loved Aang- more than anything! But there was a void in her life that needed to be filled. She needed something to do. She just didn't know what. Everything Katara thought of would take her away from Aang, and he wouldn't like that. She wouldn't either- but if meant bringing substance to her life she thought she could handle it.

With these thoughts running through her mind, Katara drifted off to sleep.

xxxxx

In the morning, Katara was happy to see everyone at breakfast. Her father, her brother, Zuko, King Kuei, and all the other important world figures were there. She greeted her father with a kiss on the cheek and took her spot next to Aang.

He leaned in to kiss her temple and whispered, "I'm sorry I didn't get to see you much yesterday. What did you do?"

"Suki and I explored the city, it's changed so much since we were here last year!" She replied.

"Yeah, it has."

"How was the meeting?" She asked him while filling her plate with fruit and bread.

"You'll see." Was the reply, accompanied by a lopsided grin.

"Wha-"

Suddenly Aang stood up and tapped the side of his glass with a spoon.

"Can I have everyone's attention please?" He said with a raised voice. All in attendance quieted and turned to face him. Aang towered over the table and spoke with authority.

"As you all know, we are here to decide the fate of the United Republic's governing. After much thought and consideration, the world leaders and I have decided that the best way to handle the new nation is with a new system of government. There will be no king or chief, but rather a council made up of all four nations. The members of the council will be elected by the citizens of the UNR, and all decisions regarding the nation will be for the council to decide. I will be a tie breaker for any important issues they cannot agree on."

This was met with polite applause and smiles all around. Katara beamed up at her man and touched his arm in excitement. This was what he had wanted, and she was happy that he was happy.

"But," he interrupted their clamour, "it will take a while for everyone to get used to the idea and to get the elections set up. I've suggested we hold the first election in one year, and all have agreed.

"Nominations will be accepted for the next six months and then the candidates will have six months to convince the public to vote for them." Now Aang paused and turned to Sokka to announce, "I nominate Sokka, to represent the Southern Water Tribe as council member. Do you accept, Sokka?"

The table looked at Sokka expectantly, waiting for the answer. With wide, surprised eyes, he gulped down his mouthful of food, cleared his throat and stood.

With a shaky voice, he answered. "Yes, I accept… Avatar Aang." And after a short bow in the Avatar's direction, he sat.

Katara broke the silence with loud applause and cheering. Soon everyone around them joined in. When it died down, Aang continued to explain their plans for the United Republic and answered questions from those around him. Katara ate beside him in peace, occasionally voicing her opinions when asked and smiling until her cheeks were sore.

After they were finished eating, Katara caught up with Sokka and Suki in the hallway as they were headed outside. As she walked beside her brother, she clapped him on the shoulder in congratulations, and asked him how he felt.

"Honored, I guess." He replied with an unconvincing smile.

"What's wrong? You'll make a great council member!" She encouraged him.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just nervous about the whole thing, you know?" He responded.

"I think you'll be the best council member the world has ever seen!" Suki exclaimed as she kissed Sokka on the cheek. "Don't worry, okay babe? I'll see you later, I've got business with the Kyoshi Warriors!" She waved to Katara and started off in the direction of a group of green cladded girls just outside the front doors.

When Suki was out of earshot, Katara turned to face him. "What's really going on? It's not like you to be nervous."

Sokka glanced after Suki and when she exited the Hall he looked back at his sister and confided in her. "Okay, I'm not nervous- I'm actually pretty excited about being on the council. But if I get elected, what happens to me and Suki? We barely see each other as it is and I have the freedom to travel. If I'm a council member, we will only be able to see each other if I have business in the Fire Nation- or if Zuko has business in Republic City and brings her along. I can't imagine it being that often… We won't make it."

"Oh, Sokka!" Katara hugged her brother fiercely then looked him in the eye. "I'm sure you guys can figure it out! You two have been through so much together already! You just need to talk through it. You've got a whole year to figure it out."

"Yeah, I know, I just have this sinking feeling that it's not going to end well…" Sokka sighed and turned his head. He caught sight of their father walking towards them and said to his sister, "Look, I gotta go. I don't want Dad to know how I'm feeling- you know guy stuff. Anyway, see ya later, Sis." He waved his goodbye and set off down the hall, leaving Katara standing in the entrance hall alone.

When her father reached her she returned his smile and hugged him fiercely.

"Katara! I'm so glad to see you! It's not right that a father can see his daughter but once a year." He greeted her.

"I know, Dad. Aang and I have been very busy lately. We'll try to take more time to come and see everyone. How's Gran Gran?"

"Good. She enjoys watching Pakku teach the children waterbending." He chuckled. "Pakku is still somewhat annoyed at our relaxed attitudes. He grumbles under his breath about 'southerners' all the time."

Katara laughed at his joke and took a seat on a nearby bench. Her father joined her and they watched people passing by, going about their daily activities. Katara sighed at the thought of her schedule yet again being empty. She slouched over her knees and sighed again with agitation.

Hakoda turned towards Katara with a quizzical glance. He wanted to know what troubled her, but experience told him it was probably better not to ask. Instead, he changed the subject.

"Gran Gran wants you to come home for your birthday." He started. "We never got to celebrate your sixteenth properly, and now that things have cooled down a little- we all thought it would be wonderful to have you home. If even for a couple weeks."

Katara straightened and gave him a small smile. "I'm a little old for birthday parties, don't you think?" She teased.

"It's not just a birthday party. It's a coming of age celebration. Every member of the Southern Water Tribe is given a celebration when they turn sixteen- even Sokka had his a couple years ago. Come on, everyone wants to see you."

"You know I would love to, Dad. There isn't anything I want more than to go and visit the tribe, but Aang has been really busy the past few years and I don't know if we can take the time. Maybe a couple of days, but not 2 whole weeks for a proper celebration."

"He doesn't have to be there the whole time- just for the ceremony. You can come down early and he can follow later when he's free. You don't have to follow him around everywhere he goes." He finished with his arms folded on his chest.

The Chief's daughter scowled at her father and replied almost coldly, "I don't just follow him around! He's my boyfriend- we're a team! Whatever we do, we do as a team!" How could he see her deepest thoughts?

"Relax, Katara. I meant no harm. Only, I don't see that fire in your eyes anymore. Even today, during breakfast, you looked more bored than anything else. I'm worried you've lost who you are."

"There's nothing to fight for anymore. The world doesn't need a war hero anymore. And that's all I'm good for."

"Nonsense! Come back to the Southern Water Tribe and remember what it is that drove you to greatness in the first place."

Katara stood and faced her father. "I'll think about it okay? But I can't promise anything." Then she walked towards her rooms to be alone in her thoughts.

When she reached the tall carved doors of her room, she was surprised to see Aang sitting on the floor, waiting for her. When he spotted her, he lifted himself with a burst of air and landed lightly on his feet.

"Aang!" She greeted him, taking his hands in hers. "What a surprise! What are you doing here? I thought you would be busy today."

He looked down at her and smiled in return. "I wanted to talk." He said in a voice that was much lower than usual. It sent chills down Katara's spine and she couldn't helped but admired the man Aang was becoming. At sixteen, he was a whole head taller than her and his voice had dropped significantly. His jawline lost its roundness and was now handsomely angular.

"Come on in," Katara said, a blush heating her cheeks at her thoughts. She pushed past him before he could see and opened the door. Once inside she took a seat on the chaise lounge and waited for him to join her.

Aang stood in front of her for a moment before declaring, "We're going to Ba Sing Se. We need to leave by the end of the week at the latest, but I would prefer to leave the day after tomorrow."

Katara bit back her surprise and managed to ask, "Why? We just got here."

The Avatar sat down beside her and took her hand in his. "I know, I don't really want to go, but King Kuei has asked me go back with him to explain how the council is supposed to work. Apparently, this isn't how his advisors envisioned the proceedings to go. They were hoping a King or Queen would be selected and a new dynasty would be created. King Kuei said he needs me there to calm them down because they're going to be very angry. I don't like it, but I need to make sure none of his advisors take matters into their own hands. You know how underhanded those guys can be."

Katara sat in silence for a moment before answering. "Okay, I understand. Duty calls and the avatar must answer."

"Please don't be mad Katara, I know you were looking forward to seeing you brother and father, but this is really important. Maybe we can make time to visit them later."

Katara perked up and leaned toward her boyfriend. "I'm glad you brought that up. Gran Gran and the whole tribe want to throw me a proper coming of age celebration. Since I never got one when I turned sixteen, now is as good a time as any. What do you say?"

Aang looked at her for a moment then turned away, an intense look on his face. He turned back to her and asked, "When would this be?"

Katara's heart sank. Didn't he know her birthday? He remembered it last year without her reminding him. _Did he forget?_ "It's uh… Close to my birthday… You know, the beginning of winter…" She tried to jog his memory.

Aang laughed and replied, "I know when your birthday is, Sweetie. I meant when will the celebration begin? I think I remember you saying something about it being a long event, like two weeks?"

Katara blushed in embarrassment and nodded. "Yeah, it starts two weeks before my actual birthday, with some rituals. Then the day before, the actual ceremony begins."

Aang was silent for a moment before replying in a saddened tone. "I don't know, we're really busy in the next couple of months. I can see going down for a couple of days for your birthday, but not a couple weeks… That's almost a whole month when you factor in traveling time."

"Well, you don't have to be there the whole time. I could go down for the start of it, then you could come for the ceremony and party." She said hurriedly.

"You'd go without me?" He asked, confused.

"It's not like I'd leave now, and it would only be for a couple of weeks. When it's over we'd be back together on the road- wherever you need to be."

"Yeah, but what if I need you? I just don't think it's a good idea…" He said softly.

Katara was filled with fondness and then annoyance. "For what? What could you possibly need me for? The past two years, all I've done is follow you around and agree with whatever you say. I'm not even allowed in most of your meetings! You really think you're going to need my 'wisdom' in the next couple of months?"

"Katara, it's not like that, I just meant that I need you by my side- people expect you to be there!" At the realization of what he just said, his eyes widened and he immediately began to shake his head, trying to negate what came out of his mouth.

Katara ripped her hand out of his and stood rapidly. Pacing back and forth, with her hands waving about she raised her voice to him. "Is that all I am?! A piece of eye candy? Does the world need to see that the Avatar found himself a nice agreeable girl to hang on his arm?!"

The tears now fell from her eyes and she stood motionless with her back turned to Aang. When she felt his hand on her shoulder, she furiously wiped the tears away and clenched her fists at her side.

"I didn't mean it like that, Sweetie." Aang said as he wrapped his arms around her. But Katara stayed rigid as he tried to reassure her with words.

She finally stepped away from him and said. "I'm going to the celebration. I need to spend time with my family. And right now, I need to be alone. I'm sorry, Aang."

He left without another word and soon she was alone. So much had happened since the morning and it wasn't even time for lunch! She needed some rest- some time to clear her head. And then she needed some solid girl advice. But Suki's next day off wasn't until the end of the week.

Katara sighed heavily as she treaded to the bed and curled up on her side. She faced the large balcony doors and spent the remaining hours of the day watching the clouds drifted by lazily. She didn't acknowledge whoever knocked on her door for lunch or dinner. And when night fell she finally allowed herself a good silent cry and drifted to sleep.

xxxxx

The sound of rain woke Katara. She was still curled up on her side facing the balcony. And the sky was still dark. The pull of the moon told her it was only a few hours before dawn. She thought about going back to sleep, but her hunger hit her in full force. So she slowly climbed out of bed and walked to the table in the corner of her room.

A small bowl of fruit sat there, untouched since her arrival. She fingered a mango, then sighed. She was too hungry for fruit. She needed to find the kitchens. She only had a faint idea of where they were, so she hesitated at the doors to the hallway. But the sound of her empty stomach pushed her through to the empty halls.

She wandered down to the lowest level that was a couple stories below ground and tried to reason her way to the kitchens.

 _This is the main staircase for servants, so it must be close._ She thought. _Ah, there's where they keep the serving dishes, so the kitchen must be… Aha! Here it is._

She found a candle in the dim light and lit it from a sconce on the hallway wall then placed it on the center table. She scanned the room until she found some leftover dinner rolls and dessert pastries. She unearthed a plain wooden plate to put them on from the pile of dishes next to the sink. When she filled the plate, Katara extinguished the candle and looked for a place to eat her goodies. She didn't want to return to her rooms so she went to the ground floor and looked around.

Snacking along the way, she peered down every corridor until she found a pair of large glass double doors. Intrigued, she made her way towards them and was delightfully surprised to find the entrance to a greenhouse. Examining the space around her, certain no one was around, she pushed the door open and softly closed it behind her.

The smell of dirt and green life hit her all at once. The rain created a gentle cadence on the windows. There were trees of every sort, flowers of every color and many kinds of plants she had no name for. The city lights filtered in through the large rain-splotched windows and gave everything a soft glow. Katara instantly relaxed and found a small bench where she sat down to finish her food. When she was done, she pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her head on her knees.

She sat in silence for a couple minutes before she heard the sound of splashing water through the sound of the rain. The waterbender tensed and tried to listen closer. She heard the sound of water again, but this time she could tell it came from the other side of the greenhouse. Slowly she stood and gathered water from the moist air around her. Bending the water in front of her, she followed the path that led towards the mysterious sounds.

As she got closer, she also started to hear the soft sound of flowing, falling water over the rain. Soon, she could feel the pull of a small pond of water with a small waterfall that seemed to come into the greenhouse from the outside. She slowed her steps and peered around the foliage into a clearing. There she saw the pond she felt with her waterbending, as well as a figure crouched beside its banks. It was a man, with long dark hair. She saw the man dipped his hands into the water and splashed it onto/at his face.

Katara continued to watch the figure, trying to get a look into his face. She felt slightly odd standing behind plants as if she were spying. She was allowed to be in here, at least she thought she would be allowed as an honored guest. The man stopped splashing his face and sat cross legged next to the water. And suddenly she knew who he was. There was only one person she knew who meditated.

"Zuko?" She called out as she dropped her water and stepped around the tree she hid behind.

The man spun out of his seated position and into a fighting stance faster than she could comprehend. Roaring orange light immediately filled the space between them as fire danced across his palm. His expression changed from tensed, to surprised and confused as he recognised Katara.

"Katara? What are you doing here?" The Fire Lord asked as he relaxed his form, but kept the fire in his palm.

The waterbender smiled and just walked past him to sit at the edge of the pond. "I could ask you the same thing!" She said with lightness in her voice. She then removed her shoes, hiked up her skirt and dipped her feet into the water.

She noted the sudden darkness as Zuko dowsed his flame and came to sit next to her. He sat with legs crossed as he did before, but did not start meditating.

"I asked you first." He finally said, looking out over the water to the windows on the outer side of the greenhouse.

"I was hungry." she said simply and moved her feet in circles, bending the water slightly to her will.

"I would be too, if I skipped two meals." He noted.

She turned her head sharply towards him and looked at him with a stern expression. She remarked how different he looked with his hair down. It brushed his shoulders and gave him a darker look. But the teasing smile on his lips calmed her abrupt anger and she sighed.

When she didn't respond, he didn't push. He just sat quietly beside her. When it was apparent she would not speak, he resumed his meditations. And they stayed like that for a long while. Katara was mesmerized with the water she was bending patterns in. It felt like forever since she had done any bending just for the joy of it.

The words of her friends and family came to mind and for the first time that day, she pondered about them. She let her emotions free. Sadness for her brother and best friend- about the uncertainty of their future together. Happiness at seeing her father. Warmth at the thought of her village wanting to see her. Anger and contempt for what Aang had said. Doubt for their future together. And finally, confusion as to what to do to move forward.

She sighed heavily and brought her legs out of the water to wrap her arms around them. If Zuko heard her, he didn't show it. Katara turned her head and looked at him. His face was so peaceful, like nothing could ever disturb him. Suddenly she was envious, she wanted to be able to shut out her overwhelming thoughts and emotions and just relaxed for once.

She watched him without really seeing him- lost in her thoughts again, so it startled her when she saw him looking back at her. She jumped slightly and averted her eyes, embarrassed that he might think she was staring at him.

"What?" He asked calmly.

"Nothing." She said a little too quickly.

"Well, I can't believe the only reason you're out here is because you were hungry. Unless, you wanted to eat the flowers."

His voice was so calm, she had a hard time telling if he was joking or not. She hesitated, unsure of how to answer him.

"I wasn't tired," She finally decided to say. "And I didn't want to be in my room. And I really _was_ hungry- I grabbed some food from the kitchen before coming out here."

"Uh-huh." Was all he replied.

"It's true, I _was_." She reiterated.

"I'm not saying you weren't." He said, looking her squarely in the eyes.

She rolled her eyes and looked at the waterfall on the other side of the pond. She felt increasingly annoyed and tensed as the silence drove on. And somehow he must have sensed it, because he said:

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"About what?!" She almost shouted.

"Whatever it is that's bothering you." he replied just as calmly as before.

"Yeah, like you- King of Brooding Silence- wants to talk about my problems." She said sarcastically.

"Well, if it's bothering you so much I thought I would try and help. Excuse me for trying to be a good friend." He said, slightly raising his voice.

"A good friend? We haven't even spoken in months- probably longer!" She accused.

He stared at her with a glare before turning away and slowly getting to his feet.

"You're right, I'm not always a good friend, but neither have you. Not for a while. But I don't really care. I have more important things to worry about."

Shame washed over Katara as she watched him go. She wanted to call out to him, to apologize, but she was still angry. She didn't really want to talk to him anyway, he wouldn't care about her problems. He said it himself- he had bigger problems to deal with.

So she watched him go. And when he was gone, she dove into the pond and was content to be surrounded by her element until the first rays of dawn touched the clouds.

xxxxx


	2. Chapter 2: Realizations

**Author's note:** Hi everyone! Hope you liked the first chapter! Sorry for the slow going, but life is crazy, ya know? Anyway just wanted to say that this is a Katara story. Self empowerment and all that good stuff. There will be romance, but as of right now I haven't decided any finalities.

Also want to give a shout out to my Beta, IcyPheonix22! Thanks for fixing my mistakes and bouncing ideas back and forth with me! You're awesome!

Enjoy!

 **Chapter Two: Realizations**

The next couple of days passed by in a blur, Katara rarely spoke more than a couple words to anyone. It occurred to her that she might be sulking, but she didn't care. More than ever she felt lost. For the first time she began to ask herself what she wanted to do with her life. Without a war to focus on, her mind raced with all the possibilities. When she was younger, she used to fantasize about what her life would be like if there was no war. She imagined her village to be larger and steaming with possibilities. Her secret dream had always been to be a midwife. She loved children so it was a natural choice.

Her uneasiness faded at breakfast as it had these past days. The easy camaraderie between all her friends always seemed to raise her mood. She laughed freely with everyone, and, for a moment, her problems were forgotten. But moments don't last long. After their meal was over and the leaders of the group headed into yet another meeting, Katara found that her previous thoughts had returned.

She remained silent as she waited for Suki to say goodbye to Sokka. When they walked through the streets towards the market center, she still hadn't said a word. Suki pulled her friend into a random clothing shop. She made sure they were secluded in a corner before addressing Katara.

"Okay, what is it? Why are you so quiet?" She asked as she pretended to look over the items on display.

Katara looked around nervously, unsure of what to say, but she trusted Suki and desperately needed her advice. "I don't know how to say it..." she confessed, following Suki's example and pulling a skirt from a pile in front of her.

"Just try." Suki encouraged and laid a hand on Katara's shoulder.

"I feel... I don't know... I feel stagnant?" she paused and looked at her friend. Suki's quizzical expression made her dive deeper into her emotions. "I feel as if my life has no meaning."

Suki's face paled and she was quick to reassure her. "What are you saying? Of course your life has meaning! Think of Aang, all your friends, your family! We all love you!"

Katara almost laughed and put a hand up to dispel the concern. "That's not what I mean, Suki. I know you all love me, and I appreciate it." The waterbender paused and took a deep breath. "What I meant was I don't have passion anymore. All my life my hatred for the Fire Nation and the war drove me to become a warrior. I'm a master waterbender, and a war hero- but what now? All I do is stand by Aang's side while he puts the world back together. I'm no diplomat. Some of the things people say makes me want to smack them! Wherever we go, Aang is busy being the world's mediator, but I do nothing! The only things I've done since we've arrived is wander around the city and go shopping. I need to feel a sense of purpose in my life again, Suki!"

Suki thought over her words for a moment. Then at last, she asked, "Do you know what you want to do?" Katara shook her head, so she continued. "You could become a waterbending teacher. Or maybe learn nonbending fighting techniques. I'd be glad to give you a couple lessons."

"I'm not sure," Katara replied. "Becoming a teacher would require me to stay in one place. I couldn't be with Aang. And like Sokka always says, 'long distance never works.'"

Suki froze. The garment in her hands fell back to the pile. Katara noticed and was about to ask what was wrong when she remembered her own words.

"Oh Suki, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean- I mean, I don't think Sokka really thinks that…"

"No, no, it's okay." The warrior said. "It's not exactly going the way I had hoped…" Then she turned to her friend and asked in a small, timid voice, "You don't think he'll break up with me, do you?"

Katara vehemently stated that Sokka would never think of such a thing and that she would personally see to his castration if he did.

They lapsed into silence for a while, walking through the shop and admiring the clothing. Each girl picked a couple articles, paid and walked back into the street. The avenue was filled with patrons making their daily purchases. They almost ran into multiple people who were too focused on where they were going to notice them walking by.

A few people said hello to Katara, calling her "Master" and bowing slightly in respect. When this happened she smiled. That is, until a couple ran away excitedly shouting "the Avatar is in the city!" She sighed and tried not to think about it.

They had just entered the produce market when a middle aged woman with tattered clothes and weather beaten face called out Katara's name and pushed her way through the crowd towards them.

The woman clutched at Katara's hand forcefully and wailed, "Master Katara! Please! My daughter is sick, she needs a healer!"

"What is it?" She asked, heart aching for a child she's never met.

"I'm not sure. Please, I don't think she has much longer!" The woman said, digging her nails into Katara's arm.

Katara nodded and pried the woman's hand from her now slightly bloody forearm. Then she calmly turned to Suki and handed her the package in her arm. "I have to help her, Suki. You can go back the hall if you want, but I'm going with her.

"I'm staying with you. I'll help however I can." Suki looked at the ragged, frantic-looking woman and said to her, "Take us to her. We'll do anything we can."

They ran down the narrow streets, twisting and turning until Katara was sure she could never find her way back on her own. Katara looked back to see Suki keeping up easily, even with the burdens in her arms. They ran until the buildings were beginning to look less and less ornate, becoming little more than clay and wooden hovels.

Finally the woman stopped in front of an open doorway. Katara squared her shoulders and stepped inside without a second thought. Inside was a small, cramped living space with a few worn pieces of furniture, a sink next to the window and a curtain dividing the back half of the room. She heard a small cough from the other side of the curtain and rushed through it.

A small, pale girl with dark hair lay on the single bed. Her eyes were closed and sweat plastered her hair to her forehead. Katara didn't think the girl could be more than five years old. An older man and a young boy with similar coloring sat next to the bed, their faces turned up when Katara rushed to the girl's side. She felt her cheeks. The fierce heat shocked her. She reached for her waterskin and drew out its contents. She bent the water to the girl's forehead and set to work bringing down her fever.

As she worked, the girl's mother came to sit next to the waterbender on the bed and shooed away the man and the boy. Suki peered in and asked if she could do anything. Katara shook her head and started to direct questions at the mother.

"How long has she been like this?" Pain seeped through her voice.

"It got bad early this morning. When I heard you were in the market, I ran as fast as I could to find you."

"Why didn't you call a healer? Surely there are plenty of them in the city."

"We did!" She said defensively. "The healer gave us some advice, but refused to treat her without payment. We barely have the money to feed ourselves, I can never afford his price."

The woman's anger fueled Katara's own. How could a man leave a helpless girl to die? But she couldn't dwell on it at the moment, she needed to help this girl. "Do you know what illness she has?" As much as Katara hated to admit it, she didn't have much knowledge on sicknesses. Her healing abilities worked better on broken bones and cuts. Something external that she could see. She couldn't see what had a hold of this precious child's body.

"I haven't seen the like, but the healer said something about her lungs. About there being fluid in them or something. She keeps coughing like she wants to clear them out, but nothing comes."

"And the fever, when did that start?" Katara asked, grasping at straws. She never heard of an illness that drowned the lungs from within. She seemed to have gotten the fever a little lower though and that raised her spirits.

"Since yesterday. But it wasn't too bad until this morning." Lara's mother came to sit beside her daughter when a coughing fit started. She hacked violently, so much so that Katara had to put her water away and helped sit the girl up. When the coughing stopped and the girl lay back down, she moaned painfully and called out to her mother in a small voice.

"I'm here, Baby." Her mother said with tears welling in her eyes.

"It hurts, Mommy." Lara whined, her face grimaced in pain.

"I know, Sweetheart. I'm sorry, so sorry." Then in a hushed tone, she turned to Katara. "Isn't there anything else you can do?" The waterbender just looked at the girl, her voice failing her.

The girl's mother was openly sobbing now, and Katara's heart burst with pain at the sight. Her own eyes spilled hot tears down her cheeks. How was she going to heal this child if she didn't even know what it was that ailed her? She realized she didn't know as much about healing as she thought she did. Most of the time she just willed the water to fix whatever the problem was. And it wasn't working now.

"Suki!" She called, unable to take much more. When Suki peeked her head around the curtain Katara instructed her to fetch the healer as fast as she could. Her friend nodded and left without a word.

The woman's eyes flashed to her's and gave a questioning look.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what else to do…" Katara offered as an explanation, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"The pain, can you do anything for the pain? I can't stand to watch her in pain!" She cried.

"I'll try my best." She answered. Pulling the water from her water skin, she placed her hands on the girl's chest and willed with all her might to stop her pain. After a few moments, the child's face softened marginally.

Katara continued to relieve her pain as best she could until Suki returned with an older gentleman with a blue patch on his sleeve and a large bag at his side. His face sheened with sweat and his breath labored. They must have run here.

The healer spoke first, addressing the woman, "I told you before, there is nothing I can do without being paid!"

"I will pay whatever it takes," Katara said, interrupting whatever the woman was about to reply. "Do all you can for this girl and you will be paid for your trouble."

The healer hesitated and eyed her suspiciously. Impatient, Katara raised her voice to him, "Do you know who I am? I am Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe and if I say you will be paid, you will!"

The man's jaw dropped slightly and he nodded hastily before setting his bag down on the end of the bed and rifling through it. He pulled out various vials and set them on the small table next to the girl. Then he pulled out an instrument Katara had never seen before. It was a long wooden tube with a large bell opening at the bottom and a smaller bell opening on the top. He placed the larger side on the girl's chest and placed his ear on the other side. He moved the bell around her chest, pausing briefly at each new location.

He sat up straight after, looked at Katara and said, "It doesn't sound good. Her airways are almost completely blocked."

He turned to the vials on the table and picked up the one filled with a thick, brown substance. He pulled out the stopper and motioned to Lara's mother to open her daughter's mouth.

"This will help with the pain," He said as he poured the liquid down her throat. "But beyond that, there is nothing more I can do. If it were a few days sooner, I might have been able to do more. As it is, it's only a matter of time."

The woman let out a loud sob and clutched her daughter's hand roughly. Katara turned back to the healer as he packed all his tools and glass vials back into his bag.

"How long?" She asked.

"Hours. She won't last into the morning for sure." His voice was low enough as to not be heard by the girl's mother. She looked between her and the girl then simply asked, "Why? Why this girl?"

"She needed me- a healer." Then she said, with as much malice as she could muster, "And I was available. Unlike some people, I don't ask for money from a dying girl's family." The healer went pale and fumbled over his words before clumsily apologizing. He left without another word to her, but she heard him exchanged a few words with Suki.

Everyone stayed where they were for a few moments. Nothing but the sound of the girl's fragile breathing could be heard. Her mother had stopped the sobbing, but silent tears still fell from her eyes. At last the little boy peeked from the other side of the curtain and went to the bed.

"Mommy?" He said uncertainly, eyes locked on his sister. "Is Lara going to die?"

His mother could not answer him, she looked to Katara pleadingly. She took the hint and pulled him back around to the other side of the curtain.

The man told the boy to wait with the nice ladies before pushing past Katara and going to join the girl and her mother.

xxxxx

The waterbender stayed with Lara, easing her pain as much as possible, until she passed in the early evening. She wept with the parents and expressed her condolences. She waited with them until other family and members of the community came to offer their support, and when everything was arranged for the girl's burial and funeral, Suki and Katara finally left.

They arrived at the Hall just as everyone was dispersing from dinner. At the sight of them, Sokka and Aang rushed over to ask where they had been. Katara didn't feel like speaking so she let Suki describe their whole day. Suddenly, Aang pulled Katara into a tight hug, whispering into her ear, "I'm so sorry, Katara." And she just let go. She started shaking with sobs and her knees gave out under her. Aang picked her up to cradle her in his arms.

He apologized to the small crowd that had gathered around them, then carried her quickly to her room and laid her on the couch. She reluctantly let go and curled up into the softness of the cushions. The sobbing had faded into sniffles and hiccups, and they stayed silent for a long time. When she managed to stop crying, she asked Aang if he could bring her some food. He was gone in an instant. While he was gone, Katara took the opportunity to change into her night clothes and washed her face.

She was sitting at the table when Aang returned with a plate of food. Katara ate in silence, staring out the doors of her balcony. And when she finished her food, she went to join Aang on the couch. She curled up to his side and he placed his arm around her shoulders, she wanted nothing more than to spend the whole night in his arms, but there was something bothering her.

She said suddenly, "He wouldn't treat her because they were poor…"

Aang looked down at her, perplexed. "Who?"

"The healer. That woman said she called for a healer a few days ago, but he refused to treat her without payment. How could anyone be so cruel? He knew she was ill and likely to die without medicine but he just left her to die!"

"That's terrible!" He agreed and laid his head on top of hers.

"Something has to be done. I want to do something. How many others have been turned away because of money?" The moment she had asked Suki to fetch the healer for the girl, she knew what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.

"What is it you want to do?"

"I want to become a healer. I want…"

"You already are a healer, a waterbending healer." He interrupted.

"Yes, but not a trained one! I only spent a couple days training with Yugoda. I need to learn everything I can! I need to make sure this never happens again."

"You can't heal everyone in the whole world, even with more training. You just can't be everywhere at once." Aang reasoned with her.

Katara sat up and looked at him with determination. "I know I can't be everywhere, but I can be in one place and people can come to me. I'll start a healing center- no, a lot of them. Then people from all over the world can go to a center and get the care they need. No one will be turned away, even if they can't pay!"

Her enthusiasm was catching. Excitedly, Aang asked, "Where will you train? With Yugoda? Who's going to run these centers when you're not around? What about the places that don't have waterbenders?"

"I'll start with Yugoda and learn all I can from her. Then, I don't know, I'll travel the world and learn from every healer I meet along the way! Recruiting some as I go!" She exclaimed. "Maybe Ba Sing Se University has classes in healing I can take! I think I will go with you tomorrow and check to see... No- I can't… Lara's funeral is tomorrow…" The sudden sadness surprised Katara. Would it ever stop hurting?

"You can come when Sokka does. I think he's planning to leave the day after tomorrow." Aang offered. "Then we can figure out everything else later. Right now, just try and get some sleep, okay?"

Katara nodded and realized just how tired she actually was. She walked Aang to the door and he lingered after she opened it.

"Goodnight, Katara." He said in a low voice before reaching out with his hand to cup her cheek. He kissed her thoroughly on the lips then kissed her on her forehead, repeating his well wishes. He then turned and walked down the hall to leave her to rest.

Surprised, Katara closed the door and crawled into bed. Her lips were still tingling when she drifted off to sleep.

xxxxx


	3. Chapter 3: Making Plans

A/N: Merry Christmas! Hope you guys enjoy the next chapter!

 **Chapter 3: Making Plans**

Lara's funeral was humble. A few close friends and family members joined the grieving family on the nearby foothills of the mountains surrounding Republic City. A slight murmur stirred through the crowd when Katara, Suki and Sokka came to pay respects, but no one approached them. The waterbender couldn't hold back the tears when farewells were said, and when she went to leave, she gave the mother a small pouch of coins.

"I know it isn't much, but I want to help." She told the woman. "I'm sorry I couldn't save her…"

Lara's mother stared wordlessly at the leather pouch in her hands, then she looked up at Katara. "You did what you could," she whispered.

The three of them left quietly and headed back to the city. The long walk on the narrow path served as a sort of meditation for them. No one spoke until they reached the edge of the Republic City.

"Katara, I know it's been a rough day, but I want to show you something." Sokka said, giving her a sad smile. He placed his hand on her back and guided her down a side street just south of their original target of the government building.

Katara let her brother lead her through the streets. She wondered what he could possibly want to show her, especially on a day like this. She could tell he was excited by the look on his face. The waterbender shot Suki a questioning glance, but the warrior only shrugged and smiled back.

They rounded the corner and the waterbender could see the Hall towering over the city a few blocks away, but Sokka had stopped. He stood a couple paces in front of her, hands crossed over his chest and a cocky, almost expectant smile tugged at the side of his mouth.

"What do you think?" He asked her, trying to sound cool, but coming off a little desperate.

Katara was about to ask what she was supposed to be looking at when something caught her eye. Across the street, slightly to the right of where Sokka was standing, was a building vastly different than any other building in Republic City. Where most buildings in the city were the earthy tones of reddish brown, this one was bright white, almost sparkling. It reminded Katara of the snow covered fields back home. The 3 story building was small compared the others surrounding it, but there was green space all around it. The architecture was achingly familiar.

"It's beautiful!" She exclaimed, taking a few steps towards it. "What is it supposed to be?"

"It's a cultural center. All the other nations have one, so Dad and I decided to build one too. As our tribe grows, it will too. And whoever holds the Council Seat will also have a home and office here."

"I love it!" Katara hugged her brother tightly. As she looked closely, she could see people moving in and out, carrying building supplies and papers in their hands. "It's not done yet?"

"Not yet," Sokka answered. "But we're leaving for Ba Sing Se tomorrow, and I thought you would like to know there's a piece of home waiting for you when you can't take time to visit. It should be done this spring."

"Can we go inside?" The waterbender pleaded.

Sokka laughed. "There's nothing to see. They only just finished the outside."

Katara gave her brother the best pout she could muster and whined faintly. Sokka gave in and led her and Suki inside. The water tribe warrior directed them through the chaos, trying to explain his vision. It was hard to comprehend when there were only outlines of walls and people buzzing about frantically but he proudly showed them every idea and plan he and Hakoda came up with.

The trio ate lunch at a nearby teahouse and lounged when they finished eating. Although the cultural center had brightened Katara's day, there was still an air of sadness around them. Suki wanted to take her friend's mind from the gloom. She waited for Sokka to notice his sister's heartache, but he was oblivious as always.

"Have you had any time to think about what we talked about yesterday morning?" Suki finally asked conversationally.

Sokka straightened at the question and eyed his sister curiously. "What did you guys talk about?"

Katara waved her brother off and answered her friend. "Yes, I thought about it a lot. I want to become a healer." She paused, her eyes grew distant and sad. In a whisper she added, "So no one else has to die like Lara did."

Suki's eyes widened in surprise. She had assumed that the waterbender hadn't had time to think about the subject since their brief chat the day before, but apparently she was mistaken.

Before Suki could respond, Sokka chimed in. "I thought you were already a healer. I mean, you healed all of us plenty of times during the war. You brought Aang back to life, for goodness sake!"

"The Spirit Water healed Aang, I just bent it. And the others were all minor injuries- cuts, scrapes, burns- those are all instinctual. And I don't even know if I healed them properly. I need to train, so I can deal with any injury or illness."

"She's right, Sokka." Sukki spoke up before her boyfriend could speak. "She needs more training to become a master. She might be able to stitch together the occasional wound, but some are more complicated than others." She turned to Katara and added, "Zuko won't admit it, but the lightning wound to his chest bothers him occasionally. Sometimes, when he's really stressed, he'll rub his chest like it still hurts. Ty Lee tried to convince him to see the palace physician, but you know the Fire Lord..."

Katara sighed heavily. _One more person to add to the list of people I've failed…_ She eventually looked up across the table at Sokka once more. "I need to do this. I'm going back to the North Pole to train with Yugoda. Then I'll see if there are any healing classes at Ba Sing Se University. I want to learn everything I can. I just feel like I need to help, I can't really explain it."

"But what are you going to do once you've learned it all?" Sokka asked pointedly.

"I'll start a healing center." She answered with conviction. "I'll start one at the South Pole, to be near family. If it goes well, I'll start one in every country so people have a place to go. I don't want anyone to be at the whims of greedy healers who won't help without pay. My centers will help any and everyone who needs it- regardless of their situation." As she spoke about it, she felt a sense of pride welling in her. Her idea was a good one and she knew it.

Sokka narrowed his eyes at her, "And who's going to pay for all this? It isn't going to come freely. Healers charge for a reason, they need to provide for their families just like everyone else. You'll need money for the training, the building, the supplies, wages for your employees. How are you going to run a business without people paying for your services?" He didn't want to crush her dreams, but he didn't want to go in unprepared either.

Katara fumed. It was just like Sokka to see the down side of everything and to point out all the flaws. "I'm still working on that part! And not everyone will get free care! Only the ones who really need it!"

"How are you going to determine who has to pay and who doesn't? It's a slippery slope Katara, and I don't want you to take on more than you can." Sokka's hard expression was unrelenting as he interrogated his sister.

"Look, guys, it's a great idea," Suki cut in before it could go too far, and she smiled encouragingly at Katara. "And it needs some kinks worked out," She said to Sokka when he opened his mouth to protest. "But right now, Katara just needs to learn healing. After that, we can worry about the centers."

Sokka crossed his arms and glared half-heartedly at his sister. Katara had reciprocated by turning her nose up and away from him. She supposed he was only trying to help, but it wasn't doing her any good. She had just come up with the idea yesterday! How was she supposed to have every detail worked out? _Sometimes guys can be so infuriating! Ugh!_ She thought.

The water tribe warrior broke the silence first. "So, you're going to train with Yugoda at the North Pole?"

After a drawn out pause, Katara admitted, "I was thinking of going up after my celebration."

"Have you thought about how you will pay Yugoda? Chief Arnook was willing to pay last time because we were helping Aang fight in the war. But, now that it's over, I doubt he'll be quite as generous."

Katara avoided eye contact as she answered him, trying to keep her annoyance in check. "I was going to ask Dad. They've been trading so well lately. And I can sell whatever I get as celebration presents." She wished he would stop asking questions. He was ruining her idea.

"Why not ask them to donate in place of a gift?" Suki suggested. "We can ask others to donate to your centers, or be investors. I'll ask Zuko when we head back for the Fire Nation. And you could ask Toph, too."

"No." Katara shook her head at her friend. "I'm not going to hit up anyone for money. This is my dream, I'll find a way to pay for it."

"Suki's right, I think a lot of people would donate to your cause." Sokka put in.

"My training; my responsibility. Besides, we have a while to figure it all out. I don't even know how much classes at the University will cost." Katara put her foot down, she would not ask people to fund her dream.

"You can get a job at the Northern Water Tribe." Sokka recommended. "I'm sure _someone_ would welcome you into their home as a guest. You are a war hero after all. Then everything you earn you can put into your University fund."

Katara smiled brightly and nodded her head. "It's settled then. After the New Year, I will go to the Northern Water Tribe and begin my training."

xxxxx

Katara said her goodbyes to Suki and her brother when they reached the Hall. She had hoped to spend a little more time with Suki before she left with the Fire Nation delegates in the morning, but Sokka was eyeing her friend in a way that made her want to be miles away from them. Instead, she opted to roam the hallways in search of something to do. She passed several open doors, unimpressed with their contents. Just as she was beginning to lose hope in finding something to do, something caught her eye. Ornate carvings covered every inch of a pair wooden doors. Intrigued, she pushed open one of the doors and poked her head inside.

She smiled. It was a library. The room was huge, but the shelves were half empty. This was a new building though so it made sense that they were still working to build up a collection. The waterbender strolled among the floor to ceiling bookshelves, making her way deeper into the grand room. She passed a few lonely desks with unused candles on them.

Katara came to an opening in the shelves, like a clearing in a forest. In the middle of the opening were a few armchairs, couches, and writing desks. In the center was a round counter that made a complete circle. Papers laid askew over the dark, wooden surface and she peeked at one near her. She saw a long list of what looked like book titles, followed by a series of letters and numbers. She could only guess it was a record of all the books in the library and their location on the shelves, although she couldn't tell how they were organized or even where the shelves were.

She heard muffled voices to her left and nearly jumped out of her skin. The water tribe girl looked over and saw two people rummaging through the volumes on a nearly empty shelf. And now that she was aware of them, she could make out what they were saying.

"I don't think we'll find anything useful here, my lord." A gruff voice said as the pair of them hunched down to look over the books and scrolls before them.

"Keep looking, I want to be sure." The other responded, only this voice was familiar to Katara. The raspy tone could only belong to one person.

Curious, she tried to peer through the empty spaces on the shelves to get a look. She saw a pair of golden eyes and the trademark scar of the Fire Lord. With her suspicions confirmed, she thought to go back to the counter but before she could look away, those eyes flicked up and met hers. They narrowed and then disappeared behind rows of shelves as their owner straightened his posture to full height.

Zuko relaxed slightly when he saw that it was Katara spying on him through the shelves. He abandoned his companion and walked around the shelves into the opening where she stood. By the time he emerged, she had turned back to the papers on the center counter. He could see the slightly reddened skin on her neck and smirked. The Fire Lord stopped a few steps behind the waterbender and folded his arms over his chest.

"Katara." He greeted.

Katara turned around slowly, trying to act natural but her fidgety posture made her embarrassment obvious. She waved awkwardly at him, not bothering to say hello. When she saw his face, it brought back the memory of their encounter two nights prior. Her heart jumped in remembered anger, and her smile quickly turned into a scowl. Without a word she turned back to the lists.

Zuko ignored her hostile manner and asked, "Were you spying on me?" He couldn't help the sly smile that etched its way into his facade, teasing her was always interesting.

The waterbender whipped around so fast, he flinched. Her face was even redder, but now it was fuelled by anger. "No!" She said vehemently.

After the initial shock of her movement wore off, he regarded her even more smugly. "Sorry." He said indifferently. "What was I supposed to assume when I saw you looking at me through the shelves?" He knew he shouldn't make fun, but he couldn't help himself.

"I heard a noise and I wanted to know what it was!" Katara answered indignantly.

"Uh- huh, sure." Zuko replied sarcastically.

Katara's face turned an even deeper shade of red. She couldn't come up with anything to say so she just let out a frustrated growl.

The Fire Lord held up his hands in fake surrender, smiling at his small triumph. "Relax, I was only joking."As he rolled his eyes at her, he caught a glimpse of the papers she had been looking at. Zuko narrowed his golden eyes as he read the title of a book he had seen earlier, as well as the shelf number it had been on. "What's that?" He pointed behind her.

Katara just looked at him with utter confusion. He sighed and walked up to the counter and picked up the sheet nearest him. He read the list of books and released a breath of relief. Then he called to his companion who was still digging through the shelves.

"Bao. I found something." His voice carried, and moments later a head appeared around the nearest shelf. Zuko waved him over impatiently, still ignoring Katara's look of bewilderment.

When Bao made it to the counter, Zuko showed him the paper. "A list of all the books in the library. This should be easier than looking through the shelves. Take these, I'll take the rest."

"Yes, my lord." Bao answered obediently and set to work collecting the papers and stacking them into a neat pile onto a nearby desk. Zuko likewise stacked the rest of the papers, but remained standing at the counter. He immersed himself in the papers, forgetting the waterbender standing next to him.

Katara's curiosity refused to fade. She stood in her spot, watching Zuko look through list after list. She shifted her weight from one foot to another, waiting for him to either be done or take notice of her. He ignored her silent plea for attention, determined to finish his task. No one spoke and usually Zuko would have welcomed the silence. Not this time, however. He ground his teeth together and tried to ignore Katara next to him. After he looked over the list in hand three times without actually reading it, he turned to her and gave her a look that asked a simple question; _What?_

"Oh." Katara started at his sudden piercing gaze. She fumbled over her words. "Uh… Um, what are you looking for?"

Zuko turned back to his list as he answered. "Tax records."

"What for?" She pressed on.

The Fire Lord sighed in exasperation before putting the papers down. He heard the soft chuckle from Bao and shot him a warning glare before turning back to Katara. "My advisors are trying to argue that the colonies brought in a lot of tax revenue. And now that we no longer have the colonies, our treasury is suffering. But I think they've been fudging the numbers. They propose we raise taxes in order to recoup our losses. It would not be a popular decision. I've already raised taxes once to cover the loss. They're just trying to turn the people against me."

"You're the Fire Lord," She stated, as though he hadn't remembered. "Can't you just tell them to back off? Or just tell the people to deal with the higher taxes? You seem to be going to a lot of trouble." Katara mused.

Zuko laughed a little darkly. "You're right, I can tell the people to do whatever I want. But that's not the way to rule. It makes my job a hell of alot easier if my people like me."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." She admitted. "What about your advisors? Can't you just, I don't know, order them to be honest?" Katara knew that was ridiculous as soon as it left her mouth, but it was too late now. She rolled her eyes at her blunder, heat flaring in her cheeks.

It was Bao who laughed this time. A hearty laugh that made Katara smile despite her embarrassment. "If we could order those cowardly snakes to be honest, Master Katara, all our problems would be solved!" Bao finished his exclamation with a slap to his knee and roared with more laughter.

Zuko looked at him unamused. Katara was intrigued. She had never met the tall, dark haired man before, but she instantly liked him. He wiped the tears from his bright eyes and sighed as he held his side.

"Back to work, Bao." Zuko commanded, turning back to his own stack. Bao muttered a "sorry" before returning to his own work.

Zuko tried to get back to the task at hand, he really did, but the Fire Lord couldn't concentrate because Katara was still standing there. He expected her to ask another question and shifted uncomfortably. To his surprise and relief, she held out a hand.

"Want some help?" She asked. He obliged and handed her half of his accumulated pages.

The minutes dragged on in silence as they each bent over the numerous lists of books and records. Zuko finished his stack first. He let out a frustrated sigh before taking back some of the papers he had handed to Katara. Bao finished next. Bringing his stack back to the counters and offering Zuko an apologetic shrug. After all the lists had been checked, and not a single Fire Nation Colony tax record was found, the Fire Lord released a growl of disappointment.

"What now?" Katara asked. She hadn't considered what would happen if they didn't find anything. Zuko would have a plan though, right? She wasn't even sure why she was helping. They seemed capable enough to handle the job on their own. Maybe she just needed something to keep her mind from traveling to dark places again.

Zuko didn't answer her, he was too busy pacing angrily back and forth. His hands occasionally gripped his hair, pulling his crown askew.

Bao, who was leaning casually against the counter, turned to her and answered for his lord. "The plan was for me to go around to all the old colonies and look through their records. We were just hoping to find something here to save a trip."

Katara nodded and watched the ruler of the Fire Nation continue to pace. She watched as he raised a hand to the center of his chest and rubbed it like it was a sore muscle. Guilt panged in Katara's own chest as she remembered what Suki had told her earlier that day.

Bao shifted beside the waterbender and she turned towards him instead. Zuko's companion looked over at his sovereign, patiently waiting for his next orders. Zuko was still pacing, so he held his hand out for Katara. "I'm Bao, by the way. Nice to meet you."

She smiled and shook his hand happily, glad for the distraction. "Have you worked for Zuko long?" She asked conversationally.

"About a year." He replied. Amusement gleamed in his light eyes. "Started out in the palace guard just after the war. When his majesty started looking to replace the Kyoshi Warriors, I was first in line. Got promoted quickly, though I'm not sure how. Now it's my job to find loyal soldiers to take a place in his personal guard. I also, apparently, run errands." He added the last part with a wink and a wicked smile that made Katara giggle in response.

Katara suddenly realized that he wore a uniform that was familiar, yet… not. It was reminiscent of the uniforms the Fire Nation army wore, but Bao's seemed to be lighter, more streamlined and more regal. Something he said had caught her attention though. "I didn't know he was replacing the Kyoshi Warriors." She looked up at Zuko, who was now looking back at her.

Before she could ask he said, "I can't depend on them my whole life. I need my own personal guards made up of Fire Nation Citizens."

"What's going to happen to them?" She asked. Suki was their leader, what would she do now?

"Aang suggested they work for the council here in Republic City. But as of right now, I still need them until I have enough of my own guards."

"Oh." Aang knew? She wondered why he hadn't mentioned it, but then she realized how little they had spoken in the past week. That needed to change. _No more excuses_ , she told herself.

"Bao," Zuko addressed. "Prepare to leave in the morning, you have your orders."

Bao bowed to his lord. "Yes, Fire Lord." He left the library without another word, but smiled brightly and waved to Katara as he closed the door behind him.

"Didn't Aang tell you about the Kyoshi warriors?" Zuko asked, pulling Katara out of her thoughts.

Katara recovered quickly. "Uh, no. He didn't. We haven't had a lot of time to talk recently." She confessed, although she didn't know why.

"Oh, well… Aang and I came up with a good plan for them. We haven't told anyone else though- particularly Suki and Sokka. I asked Aang to ask what you thought…" He finished in a question.

"He hasn't said anything." She wanted to curl up and feel sorry for herself at how their relationship was turning, but she squared her shoulders and pushed it aside. "What's the plan?"

"After my guard is well established, they can come here to Republic City. Then after the elections, a group of 3 or 4 will be assigned to each council member. They can serve as their personal guards. If they want to, that is." He added hastily.

Katara's face lit up. Sokka was running for the council. If he was elected, Suki could be in his guard and they wouldn't need to be apart. And even if he didn't get elected, he could stay and run the Cultural Center. She realized that Zuko was waiting for her opinion. She squealed with excitement, "It's a great plan!"

Zuko was taken aback by her enthusiasm. He watched her run out of the room. "Don't tell anyone!" He called after her, irked, before following the waterbender out.


	4. Chapter 4: Ba Sing Se

**Author's Note-** Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait! I actually have the next couple of chapters typed up, but I spend a lot of time editing them. Also, just a heads up- later chapters will possibly be M rated, but I haven't written them yet because I'm waiting to see where the story goes. I will let you guys know for sure if I decide to go for it! ;)

Anyway, enjoy! And thanks for reading! :)

 **Chapter Four: Ba Sing Se**

The monorail finally took off from the East Lake station, situated to the south of Ba Sing Se's outer wall, after a half hour of waiting for the other passengers of the ferry to come aboard. Although the process of getting into Ba Sing Se was much easier than it had been during the war, Katara and Sokka still had to wait in long lines to have their travelling papers checked. The waterbender had hoped to sleep on the train as it travelled the hour long journey to the center of the largest city in the world, but the benches were rough and made of stone and the railcar jostled far too much for comfort. Instead, she settled beside her brother and used her bag as a pillow against the back of the seat.

She had felt a pang of disappointment when Aang didn't meet them at the ferry station. Appa could fly into the heart of the city much faster than the earthbenders could push the heavy railcars. _Oh well,_ she thought. It would give her time to come up with the perfect speech. The speech that would change the dynamics in their relationship and set them on the course everyone had thought they were already on: marriage. Or at least she could come up with a way to bring it up so they could talk about it like mature adults.

The waterbender had daydreamed about being married to Aang for years. Most recently, when they had spent six months at Eastern Air Temple, she saw herself become anxious and excited about settling down. It was the longest they had stayed anywhere since the war had ended. Aang had been gathering people interested in becoming air acolytes and restoring the Air Nation. He had picked the Eastern Air Temple as a sort of base. It had gone well; so well, in fact, that after six months of coaching and leading the acolytes, the Avatar felt they could continue without him for small missions.

While they were at the temple, Katara had felt a sense of normalcy and structure that hadn't been with them before. More and more often she thought about what their lives would be like in five years, maybe ten years: marriage, a baby, a life together. But it was all upended when the acolytes grew in their knowledge and independence. She and Aang had started travelling more and more since the beginning of summer, to the point where they no longer considered the Eastern Air Temple home.

The waterbender sighed, enjoying her memories of their time at the temple. Sweet kisses, tender caresses, affectionate words. They had reminded her of her mother and father- of what their marriage had looked like before Kya had been ripped away from them. Their love was strong, and Katara had always wanted something similar. When they were at the Air Temple, she had found it with Aang. Bitterness crept into her thoughts at the recent turn of events, but she pushed it away. _I will not become a bitter old crone. Spirits, Katara, woman up._

She deliberately focused on her favorite memory to bring up her mood. It was when Katara and Aang had first gone to the Eastern Air Temple to get it ready for the acolytes. Guru Pathik had left long before and the temple sat empty. They had spent a whole week together, alone. She remembered the way the airbender had collapsed tiredly at the end of a long day of cleaning debris. As he lay on the bed face down, Katara had likewise sank into the softness of the bed. She savored the arm he flung around her casually and the nuzzling of her hair with his nose. It had felt so natural, so _right_. And when they woke in the morning, realizing they had shared a bed, they weren't embarrassed as they would have been before. Instead, they smiled at each other and had spent the morning exchanging some very passionate kisses. The desire within Katara stirred and she hummed contently.

The smile on the waterbender's face was replaced by a frown as she felt Sokka elbow her in the side. She turned her back on him, hoping to recapture the memory she was savoring, but Sokka elbowed her again. She heard the words "look" come out of his mouth and she huffed in annoyance before turning to face him. His arm was outstretched, pointing to the open window. She noticed, surprisingly, that they were already within the inner wall. Buildings flashed by quickly beneath them.

Katara leaned out the railcar window when she heard Appa's roar. She could barely make out the bison's shape against the bright midday sun. She waved eagerly and ducked her head back inside as they approached the central station of Ba Sing Se. When the doors finally opened, she sprinted out onto the platform; Sokka was struggling to keep up behind her. She looked around wildly. _There!_ She saw the outline of the Avatar, and at his side was a shorter, slightly feminine figure.

"Toph!" She yelled, surprised to see her friend, and she once again ran quickly towards them. She reached the earthbender in no time and wrapped her in a tight hug. Katara swore she felt those small hands wrapped around her middle in an embrace before she was pushed roughly away.

"Yeah, yeah, I miss you too, Sugar Queen." Toph said indifferently. Sokka had caught up with her then. He said "hey" to Aang before turning to Toph and greeting her with a hug as well. "What is this? Some kind of hug fest? Keep your hands to yourselves!"

Katara chuckled softly. "What are you doing here?" She asked breathlessly. "What about the academy?"

"Those lily-livers can do without me for a few days." The earthbender replied, waving her hand dismissively. "Besides, Twinkletoes over here asked me to come. And he has _yet_ to tell me why, despite my warnings…" Aang shrugged, muttering something under his breath and eliciting a punch from the blind girl.

Katara rolled her eyes and finally turned to her boyfriend. She was still slightly mad at him for not saying anything about the Kyoshi Warriors, but now was not the time to bring it up. She missed him. _Today starts a new beginning for us,_ she thought eagerly. _From now on we'll talk more. We'll put in the effort it takes to be a team._

"Aang," she breathed and jumped into his outstretched arms. He hugged her tightly to him and whispered a soft "hello" into her hair. She leaned back to look at him and put a hand on his cheek. Forgetting everything around her, she kissed him deeply. He responded with a little more enthusiasm than was publicly acceptable, but neither wanted to break their embrace.

"Enough!" Sokka finally said. "You guys are gross!"

Katara pulled away from her lover's face and turned to her brother. She pinned him with a skeptical glare and said, "I've seen you and Suki do worse." Sokka's face paled and grumbled something about "nobody's business." Toph laughed and started walking towards Appa. It wasn't long before they reached the Earth King's Palace.

Aang sat relaxed on the bed as Katara unpacked her bag and told him about the funeral. Although it still made her sad, she could finally think about it without crying. The time alone the past few days had done her some good. The airbender reached over to squeeze her hand and reassured her she did all she could and that he was proud of her. When she told him about the cultural center, he smiled at her enthusiasm. Then she recounted her time in the library helping Zuko search for tax records and finally ended in her question about Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors. The disapproval was evident in Katara's voice as she asked why he hadn't spoken to her about it.

"I'm sorry!" He exclaimed hurriedly. "I guess I forgot?" He gave her a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head.

"What now? Zuko asked me not to say anything because you were going to handle it. But if you don't do something soon, I won't be able to keep this from Suki. She's already frantic that Sokka is going to break up with her, and he's been down for a while about their future, too."

"He won't break up with her." Aang said confidently.

Katara raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh? And how do you know?"

"He's going to propose." He said simply, as if it were common knowledge.

The waterbender dropped the garment she was folding and turned to him incredulously. "What?!" She exclaimed.

Aang's eyes widened and he gave her a lopsided grin. "Oops. I wasn't supposed to tell you that."

"Too late now, spill." She commanded, hands rested on her hips.

"Okay, okay." The Avatar conceded. "Sokka came to me a few months ago asking for advice. He wanted to ask Suki to marry him- but he didn't know if it was a good idea. He couldn't ask her to leave the Kyoshi Warriors. He asked if he should move to the Fire Nation to be closer, but you know how important his work is with your dad. I told him to be patient. They've lasted this long, what's a few more months? He didn't seem to like my advice, but he took it anyway."

Katara eyes were wide. Suki's fears would never be realized. She would be happy with the man she loved. Even if that man was her brother. _Sokka!_ _I have to tell him!_ She thought suddenly and moved towards the door. Aang blocked her path. The amused smile on his face made her want to simply push him aside, but she paused, remembering her resolution to talk more.

"I have to tell Sokka about what you guys plan for the Kyoshi Warriors! I don't want either of them to worry over something that isn't going to happen!" She explained herself to him.

Aang chuckled softly in that low voice of his and Katara realized just how different he was compared to the beginning of their relationship. Older, taller, wiser (if that was possible), and definitely more attractive. She could see the subtle changes in him that had taken place even in the last few months. He was still slender- wiry even- and she knew he would never be one of those broad chested, big muscled heroes in the romance books she read on occasion. He was handsome in his own right however, much more to Katara's liking than the burly, macho men women her age seemed to prefer. Her cheeks were starting to grow warm as she thought of the man he was becoming. Katara pushed aside her thoughts when he spoke.

"Relax, I'll tell him tonight after dinner. Right now, I need to spend time with my beautiful waterbender." Aang's voice had dropped to a whisper at the last part and he moved forward to hug her to him. He brushed his lips against Katara's forehead and inhaled her scent. "I told King Kuei that I am the rest of the afternoon off."

Katara, who had been savoring the feel of his arms around her, started with surprise. She couldn't remember the last time Aang had cleared his schedule. She leaned back as far as his arms would allow, which was only far enough to catch his eye, and asked, "What for?"

"For you." He simply said. "We can do whatever you want to do. Just say the word and it's done. I just want to spend time with you."

 _This is it,_ she thought, _I knew the last few months were only a lull. Now everything will go back to normal._ The smile that broke out across her face took Aang's breath resistance failed and he crushed his lips to hers. It was more forceful than he meant it to be, but Katara responded eagerly so he didn't withdraw. After a long moment, the waterbender pulled back to catch her breath. He let her, reluctantly, and rested his head atop hers. They stayed that way as they caught their breath, enjoying the moment.

Finally, Katara's stomach clenched and she realized she hadn't eaten in awhile. She pulled back from Aang's chest and looked up at him. His face was slightly red, from embarrassment or lust she couldn't tell, and he pinned her with his gray gaze. The flustered waterbender managed to squeak out the word "food" and it took a minute for either of them to acknowledge it.

"So... lunch?" Aang asked when he stepped back from her. She was sure his red face was due to awkwardness now. He was looking everywhere but her face and his hand had snaked up behind his head in that innocent gesture of his.

"Yes, please, I'm starving!" Katara moved around him to pull the cord to the servants' bell hanging by the door.

"You don't want to go out for lunch?" Aang asked as Katara moved to the small table in the corner of her room.

"I'd rather stay here, if that's okay." She replied once she removed her belongings from the eating surface.

"Whatever you want." He replied with a small smile. When a knock sounded on the door, Aang greeted the servant and asked for some food to be brought to them.

They ate between stories. Katara choked on her water when Aang told her a joke he had heard the day before. Smiles were given freely, and at some point Katara became aware of Aang's foot resting against her own. Her heart swelled with the happiness and love she felt by simply being with Aang. _Just like old times,_ she thought. It was well into the afternoon before they realized they had eaten all the food in from of them.

Looking out the open window, Katara sighed contently. An autumn breeze drifted through and stirred her hair. She was tired, she realized, and moved to lounge on the sofa. Aang wasn't far behind. He gently lifted her torso to sit down and let her lie back across his lap. He played with her dark hair, letting his fingers brush along her face lovingly.

"Thank you." She whispered with her eyes closed.

"For what?" The airbender asked just as softly. He traced her lips lightly with his fingertips as she replied.

"For taking time to be with me." Katara opened her eyes to gaze at him. He made an off-handed gesture and told her it was nothing.

The waterbender sat up, fatigue gone, and turned so that she sat facing him. Aang looked confused at her actions, but said nothing. She took his face in her hands and made sure they held eye contact before speaking.

"It _is_ a big deal." She said softly, but fiercely. Her voice waivered a bit when she confessed, "I thought I was losing you."

Aang gripped her hands that were still resting on his cheeks. "Never. What made you feel-"

Katara looked away and laughed half-heartedly, interrupting him. "I know it's stupid, but the last few months have been rough for me. I thought maybe you were starting to lose interest. Even though I _knew_ you were just busy..." She paused and chanced a glance at him. His expression of confused hurt pierced her heart so sharply, she inhaled to try and lessen the blow.

"I could never-" Aang started to say, but seemed unsure how to continue. Finally he professed adamantly, "I _love_ you. More than anything!"

Katara gave him a small smile. "I know." She whispered. "I love you, too."

Suddenly Aang reached up to her cheek, caressed it, then slid his fingers into her hair to rest behind her head. He pulled Katara's head towards him and planted his lips on hers. The kiss was sweet, but fervent. Katara felt a strong wave of desire and moved her lips against him. She poured her heart into the kiss, trying to convey all the hurt, confusion, and wanting she had felt since the beginning of summer. Summer- when they had left their first semi-permanent residence since the War had ended; when they had started living as nomads again. Her emotions were strong and they threatened to leak out and ruin this perfect moment. She had a sudden desire to voice all her worries and doubts, but Katara stamped them down and focused the feel of Aang's lips.

She felt as well as heard Aang's breathless moan when she deepened the kiss. She took advantage of the opening of his lips to slip her tongue against his. She was surprised that he didn't pull away. He had always seemed hesitant to go very far in their physical relationship, even when they had been alone for days in the Eastern Air Temple just a few months ago. Now he seemed content to let her kiss him however she pleased. Besides, it was a good way to distract her from her thoughts.

Katara shifted up onto her knees to get a better angle. Again, Aang let her and even encouraged her by resting his hands on her waist and squeezing gently. When he pulled back slightly, she began to pout. Then his lips unexpectedly landed on her jaw, and her breathing became shallow. He had never kissed her there before, and he didn't stop. The airbender continued along her jaw and down her neck, and his hands started caressing her sides. She noted he stayed clear of her breasts and hips and smiled at his modesty. He was so sweet that it made her heart melt. Katara didn't want sweet right now, though. She was a teenager and her hormones were raging.

The waterbender splayed her hands firmly against his chest and Katara wondered if her boyfriend was ever going to stop her. Growing bold, she pressed closer to him and swung her leg over his lap and rested it on the other side of him. She moved her mouth back to his hoping to distract him. The waterbender felt as Aang hesitated slightly when she moved and it made her think. _What if_ _he_ _doesn't want the same thing?_ She thought briefly as her hips hovered over the airbender's.

Aang could tell something was up when she paused above him. When he pulled back from her lips, he spoke her name in a question. They had never gone so far, and he was suddenly afraid they had taken it too far.

At the sound of her name, Katara looked into his gray eyes. She had two options, to continue on and set her hips against his, hoping he wanted it too. Or, she could sit further out on his lap and just continue to kiss him. She was torn between desire and fear. She was barely aware of his voice asking if she was okay. When he finally started to pull away, she made her decision.

Katara pulled Aang's lips to hers and planted her hips firmly against his. He froze momentarily and groaned softly before replacing his hands on her waist. Excitement flooded through the waterbender's veins and she allowed herself a small moment of triumph. They stayed like that, both afraid to move anything but their mouths for fear of rejection. Eventually, Katara tore her face away to catch her breath. Aang took the opportunity to return to kissing her neck and throat and was rewarded with a moan from his waterbender. Her back arched of its own accord and the action caused her hips to push down.

Katara was suddenly aware of something pressing into her most intimate area. A wave of pleasure coursed through her and a hot jolt ran through her abdomen. They both moaned loudly at the new sensation. Katara was afraid Aang might try to pull away, but she was mistaken. Instead, he slipped his hands down to her hips and pulled her into him even more. Katara was still breathless, loving the feel of Aang's lips on her throat. Her confidence soared at his actions and she tested the waters by grinding her hips into him with conviction. He groaned in response and found her lips with his own.

A knock sounded at the door and the couple froze. They stayed completely still, hoping whoever was at the door would go away if there was no answer. To their disappointment, a second knock was heard a few moments later followed by a muffled voice calling for the Avatar.

Katara had never heard Aang curse before; he had always been a gentle soul. She wasn't even sure he _had_ cussed. But the way he said "spirits" made it sound like an old world curse; he was clearly disappointed and annoyed. He gently removed Katara from his lap and straightened into a stand. He began walking towards the door and she noticed as he stopped, looked down, and adjusted his pants. Another knock rang out in the room and Aang released a frustrated growl as he left his pants slightly askew before quickly opening the door.

"I asked not to be disturbed." He said. To anyone else, he might have seemed just slightly annoyed. To Katara, however, she could tell he was about to burst with anger.

"I'm sorry, Avatar." A small man with a reedy voice apologized with a bow from the other side of the door. His round, green cap marked him as a servant. "The Earth King requests your presence at his meeting with his advisors."

"Is it an emergency?" Aang asked, seemingly calm.

"Well, no, but-" The man replied, averting his eyes and fiddling with his sleeve.

"Tell the Earth King, that unless it is a matter of life or death, I am not to be disturbed." Aang turned to shut the door, but the man put his arm out to catch it.

"But his majesty-" he began, noticeably panicked.

"Life or death emergency only." Aang reiterated. He caught sight of Sokka walking towards them in the hallway and sighed gratefully. He waved to his friend and pointed him out to the servant. "Sokka can judge if the situation calls for my presence. Until tomorrow, I trust him to offer his own advice in my place."

Sokka had stopped in front of his sister's door at the sound of his name. He looked suspiciously between the Avatar and the servant. CUrious, he made his way over to where they stood. The warrior peered around Aang and saw his sister sitting on the couch just inside the room. When they made eye contact, Katara's face turned scarlet before quickly turning her gaze to the hands fidgeting in her lap.

"What now?" Sokka asked, intrigued.

"As I've already told the Earth King, I am not to be disturbed for the remainder of the day- for any reason other than an emergency requiring my presence. I've suggested that you offer advice in my place, and judge whether or not I'm actually needed in an emergency." the Avatar explained.

Sokka looked at Aang, and then looked back at his sister who still refused to look up. Not to be disturbed? Katara blushing like a schoolgirl? He had an idea of what was going on. His eyes narrowed at the Avatar before him. Aang may be his best friend, but that didn't mean he approved of his being alone with his sister. Aang held Sokka's gaze, becoming more irritated by the second. The Avatar sighed heavily and closed his eyes.

"Sokka, please." He finally said; his pleading voice was low so the messenger couldn't hear.

Sokka's protective side took over. He looked over at his sister who had finally stopped blushing and was looking back at them. She looked concerned, but otherwise okay. The last thing he needed was this punk to hurt his only sister.

"I don't like the idea of you two being alone together." He stated in a fierce whisper.

Aang eyebrows raised and he held up his hands in defense. "Sokka, it's not… like that. We're not..." The airbender gulped and tried to think of a way to convince his friend to leave him alone… With his sister. He groaned as he tried to come up with an excuse. "I promise it's not like _that_. We're not doing… _that_! Trust me, I would never do that without getting married! Please, Sokka, you have to believe me!"

Sokka eyed him skeptically, but relented. He did believe Aang, and he trusted him. He just wasn't so sure about his sister. Katara had always let her passion cloud her judgement. "Fine. Just this once." With that he shot Katara a meaningful scowl and strode off down the hall. The forgotten messenger was torn about which way to go but resigned to follow the warrior down the hall when the Avatar slammed the door in his face.

Aang paused with his hand still on the door. He couldn't believe he convinced Sokka to leave him alone with Katara. Maybe today was his lucky day. HIs relief turned to annoyance at the thought of being interrupted. People were always barging in on him. He took a few deep breaths to calm down before turning to face the beautiful woman waiting for him. He retook his spot on one end of the couch and looked into the waterbender's blue eyes.

Katara gave him an inquisitive look and softly asked, "Are you okay?"

He sighed and drew her to her chest. "Just…" Aang paused, searching for the right word. "Frustrated." He finished, somewhat darkly.

The waterbender didn't want to reply. She wanted to savor their time together and kiss him again. When would they have another chance like this? But something was obviously troubling him so she asked him why.

"I never get a break. Someone always needs me. People are always coming to me with requests and they want advice and they rarely give me time to actually think!" The airbender tensed at his own words and felt his girlfriend tensed in response. His anger and frustration vanished and was replaced by guilt. "I'm sorry. Let's not talk about this right now…" His voice became a whisper and he brought his head low to hers and muttered, "Want to pick up where we left off?"

Katara blushed brightly and pulled away from Aang. She gave him her best seductive look and leaned her face towards his. As soon as their lips touched however, Katara's mind suddenly flew to Sokka's accusing glare and she flinched away.

"Katara?" Aang asked, confused.

The waterbender's eyes were wide and she didn't say anything for a long moment. When she thought she could speak without fumbling over her words, she replied. "Sokka, he knows. The way he looked at me..." She shivered involuntarily. How could she not see it before? Of course that look was meant to scare her into innocence. "He knows what we were doing."

Aang looked at his girlfriend with a sheepish expression. "Well, I guess he suspected… but we really weren't doing anything that bad." He was trying to salvage the situation, to keep the wall from rising back up between them.

"What did you tell him?" The waterbender asked, suddenly fearful. She remembered that Aang had said something to her brother just before he gave her the look that now haunted her. "Right before he left, what did you say?"

"Nothing!" Aang exclaimed desperately. When the woman beside him deepened her scowl, he swallowed the hard lump in his throat. "I… I might have asked him to give us some time, just this once." When Katara opened her mouth, he cut off her reply. "He was worried that we might go too far. I just wanted to reassure him that, _that_ would never happen!"

Katara's heart plummeted as his words echoed through her mind. _That would never happen…_ She wasn't even sure why she reacted so severely. She never gave much thought to their physical relationship before. So why did it feel like he had ripped her heart out? It wasn't like she even wanted it that bad. _Yes I do,_ her mind whispered and she realized that she did. She wanted to be with Aang in the most intimate way possible.

His words were like a knife in her chest. A rejection from her worst nightmares. The tears surged to the brim, threatening to spill over. Katara turned away from Aang to keep him from seeing. _Control yourself, Katara!_ She thought. _You're overreacting!_

Aang didn't miss a thing, though. Her expression of surprised hurt drove a wedge into his own heart. He must have said something wrong. It felt like he did that a lot lately. And when she turned away from him with tears in her eyes, he only hesitated briefly before wrapping one arm around her waist.

The Avatar tried to look into her blue eyes, but she kept them averted. He noticed the slight quiver of her lips. The dam holding in Katara's tears broke and they streaked down her face.

"Katara…" Aang whispered as he released her chin. His concern for her was evident. "I'm so sorry. What's wrong?"

The waterbender kept her face turned away. His concern did little to quell the ache his rejection had caused. She didn't want to bring up why she was suddenly blubbering like an idiot. On the other hand, she wanted to make sure it wasn't a misunderstanding, that maybe she had misheard him.

Katara took a couple shaky breaths before launching into and ill-prepared speech, "I thought… I don't know," She sighed, wiping away the tears with the backs of her hands. She dug out the feeling she had pushed aside earlier, using them to fuel her voice. "I thought maybe you wanted… That you wanted that…" He gave her a quizzical look and she took as deep of a breath as she could muster. "I thought you wanted _that_. To be… physical." She finished in a voice so small she wasn't sure he had heard.

He didn't answer right away, which made Katara nervous that she would have to repeat herself. Eventually, though, he reacted and brushed his thumb along her jawline.

"I do." He choked out. "I love you, Katara, and you are the most beautiful woman in the world. Of course I _want_ you." His cheeks burned with his admission, but he continued. "I just… don't think we're ready. I'm only sixteen! And… we're not married."

Katara averted her eyes. The pressure in her chest lightened at his confession. It wasn't fixed, though. He thought they weren't ready, he thought they had to be married. That just brought up another issue. It was so obvious to everyone else: Aang and Katara were hopelessly in love and would get married as soon as possible. Even though Aang had turned sixteen, the traditional betrothal age, he hadn't asked. They had never talked about it- seriously, anyway. They mentioned it in childish daydreams in their first year together, but not since.

 _Now we will._ Katara thought as she processed Aang's words. _We are talking about this, and we're not leaving until we settle this._

"Why haven't you asked?" She tried to sound mature and calm, but it came out sounding like a moody teenage tantrum. And she cursed herself inwardly, knowing it was going to go downhill from there.


End file.
